Paranormal Activity: The Next of Kin

Director - William Eubank (The Signal, Underwater)

Starring - Emily Bader (House of the Witch, Charmed), Roland Buck III (Better Call Saul, The Rookie), and Dan Lippert (Superstore, Inside Job)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     As I dig into the last film in the Paranormal Activity franchise, but not the last film in this set, I find myself seriously dreading writing these reviews. Normally I can watch and review two films a day but it has taken me well over three weeks to finish this box set of 7 films. I was ready to write the franchise off completely after watching The Ghost Dimension. The Marked Ones gave me hope but Ghost Dimension really knocked the wind out of my sails. It would be a few days before I would tackle another PA film which would be last year’s The Next of Kin. 

      The film follows a young woman and two male friends who visit an Amish community to film a documentary about her mother. She left this community when she was pregnant before giving her up for adoption. Her quest to learn about her mother and the religious community that shunned her soon takes a dark turn when she uncovers letters written by her mother and the dark secret the community is hiding in a large hole in their church. 

      While The Marked Ones was the first film in the set that I actually enjoyed, The Next of Kin is the best film in the franchise. It’s departure from the wealthy family creepily recording themselves as they panic over falling dishes and random jump scares makes it a stand out film, as well as, a movie that you can watch without having to see the previous installments. Honestly, I was ready to wash my hands of this franchise and just review what I had seen with a disclaimer that I couldn’t finish this brainless film series. However, a part of me felt guilty for not giving them all a chance and I’m glad I did. This film was fantastic but doesn’t have much of a replay value. The acting in this one is probably the best in the franchise. The characters are well written, and the cast clearly has on screen experience which really helps this one be more story focused than previous films. The story for this one is fucking wild and because the film doesn’t spend so much time trying to feel like an authentic found footage flick we get more time to watch the story progress and build. I find religion and cults to be extremely terrifying so this one really hit the mark with me. The slower scenes are not over burdened with awkward small talk but they do help build the story and character development. With that being said, when the film does find it’s stride and deliver the goods we get it in such a rushed and dramatic fashion that we can’t fully enjoy the atmosphere and creature design. Finally, the film doesn’t really rely on jump scares as much as other films in the saga. Instead, it relies heavily on atmosphere, tension, and the creature design on the last leg of the film. I liked the design of the creature even though it was giving off Descent vibes but I am a little annoyed by the fact that we couldn’t see it more. Overall, The Next of Kin is an extremely fun found footage film that doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. If the franchise continues with films like this then I will count myself a fan but if it digresses back to previous installments like the first three films and the Ghost Dimension then you can count me out. I highly recommend checking this one out.